OrganicVille Foods: Organic, Vegan, & Gluten-Free {Review & Giveaway}

I try my best to give my family things that are good for them... it makes me feel good when I can provide them with organic natural products instead of ones that are processed.

OrganicVille Foods was started in 2004 and it's goal since day one has been to "...create exceptional organic products that your whole family can enjoy."  They have pasta sauces, condiments, salad dressings, salsas, and more... even ice cream.  They offer healthy alternatives to all your favorites!

• Certified Organic
• Vegan
• NO Added Sugar
• Certified Gluten Free

You can find great recipes on their site too, like this Best Ever Coleslaw perfect for summer:

Ingredients

• 1/2 Green Cabbage, Shredded
• 1/4 Red Cabbage, Shredded
• 1 large Carrot, Julienne
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 bottle Organicville Non-Dairy Coleslaw Dressing

Directions

In a large bowl toss together cabbage and carrot. Mix in salt, pepper, and coleslaw dressing.

Cover with plastic, and let marinate at least 8 hours.

I was able to try two products- it was tough narrowing it down since a lot of the products were ones my family uses on a regular basis.  I decided to go with the Organic Mayo and one of the Organic Pasta Sauces.  When I used both of the items, I didn't tell my family I was using anything different and no one noticed a thing, including my husband.

We tend to go through a lot of mayo- between sandwiches, tuna, pasta salads, even on burgers!  The first time I used the Non-Dairy Organic Mayo, I put it on chicken sandwiches.  The taste is great- no weird flavor.  I also used it in tuna to make a healthy lunch and it tasted delicious!

The second product I tried was the Tomato Basil Organic Pasta Sauce.  It's seems some sort of pasta dish is usually a weekly staple in our house.  I thought the basil was actually a tad overpowering in the sauce but no one else seemed to mind.  I topped it off with some parmesan cheese before serving it.

OrganicVille Foods taste great and  I felt good knowing it was completely organic and good for my family.  I love that I can pronounce all the ingredients on the label too!

BUY IT:  You can use their store locator to find OrganicVille products near you in natural food stores, grocery stores, and supermarkets nationwide.  You can also order directly from their online store.

WIN IT:  1 lucky reader is going to win 2 products from OrganicVille Foods!!

Mandatory entry:  Visit OrganicVille Foods and tell me which product you'd most like to try

Extra entries (can be done after mandatory entry is completed, leave a separate comment on this post for each entry you do):

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•  Enter any of my other giveaways (+1 for each)
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•  Post about this giveaway (Facebook, Cafemom, Blog, etc.) +5 entries, leave link
•  Tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily, leave link)

#WIN 2 products from @Organicville Foods- organic, vegan, and gluten free!! via @SusieBHomemaker http://goo.gl/aeLAm #Giveaway ends 6/10

U.S. ONLY

This contest ends on 6/10/11 at 11:59 pm EST. Open to U.S. residents only.  The winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning notification email before another winner is drawn.  Please make sure your email is visible on your profile or leave with your comment(s).

Disclosure:  I received a product in exchange for my review.  No other form of compensation was given.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and completely honest.

Are Marie Callender's Pot Pies really Better than Homemade?

Is it possible that something store bought can taste as good as homemade, or even better than homemade?  According to the article "8 Grocery Store Products that are Better than Homemade (really)" it is possible.

One of the items on that list is Marie Callender's Pot Pies... a frozen pot pie!  Could a frozen pot pie seriously be better than homemade?   I was given the opportunity to try one for myself and find out.

I'll be honest, I was more than a little skeptical.  Most frozen meals I've tried have fallen far short of tasting anything like homemade.  The meat is the biggest problem for me- the texture usually doesn't resemble actual meat and tends to be fatty.  When I make anything homemade with meat, I always trim any excess fat off.

I tried the Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie with chicken of course and peas, carrots, and celery.  You can cook it in a conventional oven or for ultimate convenience in the microwave, with their new baking tray right in the box.  Most frozen foods taste better from the oven, but I really wanted to put it to the test so I opted for the microwave... and it was so much faster.

It definitely exceeded my expectations!  The crust turned out really well, even in the microwave it came out golden brown and flaky.  Inside there were big chunks of white meat chicken... and no fat or gristle to chew on.  Great tasting filling with carrots and peas mixed in.  I think the negatives for me was that I didn't really notice much celery and that you can't control the sodium amount when buying frozen.

So how did Marie Callender's Pot Pies ultimately stack up?  Did they actually taste better than homemade?  Well at the risk of offending all cook's and grandmother's out there, I'm going to say... pretty darn close!  The taste was definitely just as delicious as homemade, and what made it better than homemade was the fact that I didn't have to slave over a hot stove to make it!!

Disclosure:  I received a product for the purpose of this review and was also compensated by Marie Callender's and The Motherhood.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and completely honest.

Oatmeal with Fruit and Brown Sugar

This is my 'knock-off' version of McD's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal.  I know there's some controversy over theirs and lots of people don't like it (or the price).  I actually did like it when I tried it, but then figured- why not spice up my boring oatmeal at home and save some money.

So here's my take on the recipe, what's great about oatmeal though is that you can add in whatever you like... customize it to your own taste buds:

Plain Instant Oatmeal

Brown Sugar (to taste, I use 1/2- 1 Tbs.)

Small handful of the following:

Raisins (I used Batth Farms fancy mixed and thought they were actually a little too big)

Dried Cranberries

Diced Apples (my fave is McIntosh)

This is an instant pick-me-up in the mornings for me, along with my orange juice and a cup of coffee.  What's your favorite breakfast?

Chicken Rice Casserole- Easy, Cheap Recipe

Chicken Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Instant White Rice
1-2 lbs. Chicken Tenderloins or 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 350°.  Mix can of soup with 1 can of water in 13 x 9 baking pan.  Add in the Instant Rice and set in the chicken.  Bake for 30- 45 mins. til most of liquid is absorbed by rice and chicken is cooked thoroughly (no longer pink, 160° in center).    Serves 4-6

You can also add in a couple pats of butter and some lemon juice for flavoring.

 Before

 After

Side dish ideas:  mixed vegetables, green beans, salad
                           bread and butter, garlic bread, dinner rolls

Cost of main dish:
Soup- .89¢ for store brand
Rice- $2.98 for store brand box, I used 4 servings so approx. .66¢ worth
Chicken-  $4.10 ($2.99/lb.)
Total (will vary depending on food prices at your local store)- $5.65

Giving Thanks... for Sweet Potato Casserole

Before the craziness of the day begins, I wanted to write a quick Thanksgiving post and share my Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.

I am so blessed and thankful for my loving family, they are my world!  As much frustration as they can make me feel at times, they also give me unconditional love and bring a smile to my face every single day.

I'm truly thankful for my health right now.  I hope I have many more years of healthy living to enjoy my precious family.

I'm also thankful for the roof over our heads, the ability to pay our bills, and the food on our table... so without further ado, here's the recipe for my Sweet Potato Casserole!

9 x 11 in. pan, 350° for 30- 45 min.

Bottom
5 sm. cans of sweet potatoes (or 2 lg.)
3 tsp vanilla
4 well mixed eggs
1/2- 1 c. sugar (as needed, sweeten to taste)
1- 2 sticks butter, melted (I use 1 1/2 sticks margarine)
~mix until all liquids mixed to potatoes
~spread evenly

Top
2 c. brown sugar (dark)
1 c. flour (as needed until thick)
2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1- 2 sticks butter, melted (I use 1 1/2 sticks margarine)
~mix until sticky or flaky
~spread/sprinkle over potatoes
~don't cover while baking
~bake until top is brown and crisp

Mmm, delicious!!

What are some of the dishes on your table this Thanksgiving?

Are Your Kids Eating Enough Veggies?

A recent survey conducted by Ragú showed half of moms say that during the back-to-school season they have less time to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals for their kids.  Sound familiar, need a new idea for dinner?  Well Ragú wants us to feed our kids well.

So to help make sure your kids get the veggies they need (and the meals they love) Ragú Old World Style Traditional Sauce now has 2 servings of veggies in every half cup!  As a mom, I say Yay!  My kids don't eat a lot of vegetables so this is just one more way to sneak them in without them knowing.

It's healthy, delicious and now has a naturally thicker taste the whole family will love.  Ragú Old World Style Traditional Sauce is a perfect component to pulling together quick and tasty meals during this busy time.

Check out their recipes for delicious meal ideas and visit them on Facebook to find out how to enter for a chance to win a Ragú "Meal Makeover" Kit!

 

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Ragú® prize package in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.

Tilapia topped with Pico De Gallo

I love this meal, usually my hubby makes it, but the other night I decided to give it a try.  I generally have been scared to cook fish because I think I'll either under or over cook it.  These are fresh frozen Tilapia fillets which were thawed and then I added garlic pepper seasoning and baked with lemon slices at 350° for about 25 mins.

After baking I removed the lemon slices and topped with the crown jewel- pico de gallo (I used store-bought but you could make your own)!  This gives the fish such a great flavor and taste that no other sauce is needed.  I paired it with white rice, peas (only veg. I had on hand- use whatever's available), and then made my own garlic toast (again with what I had on hand).  The garlic toast can be made much fancier if you have better, thicker bread than just sliced toast.  Place a lemon wedge on the side and top it off with a glass of Pinot Grigio... voila'- perfecto!

Bean & Rice Fajita Wrap

These are quick and easy... and my 5 yr. old loves them!!

And she's a very picky eater!

Refried Beans

Instant Rice

Shredded Lettuce

Shredded Cheese

Salsa (I mix right in w/ the rice)

Sour Cream

Whole Wheat Tortilla (Fajita size)

Optional topping idea- Guacamole

Steak Dinner w/ Baked Sweet Potato

My wonderful hubby cooked me a delicious steak dinner for Mother's Day yesterday.  We were supposed to go to the Texas Roadhouse (my fave!).  But since I woke up quite sick, with green mucous coming out of my nose (sorry tmi) & a horrible cough, my hubby decided to make me the meal at home.  :)

Whenever we get a chance to go to the Texas Roadhouse I order the same thing:  Dallas Filet (filet mignon), baked Sweet Potato loaded with butter, brown sugar, & marshmallows, and fresh Vegetables.  Oh, and before your meal arrives they serve you soft, warm rolls with cinnamon butter (so good- worth the drive everytime!!).  So my dear hubby went out and bought everything he needed for the meal, and it turned out soooo good!  I wish I would've taken a picture before I wolfed it down ate my meal like the lady I am.  I did find a picture along with the recipe at recipezaar.com.  We don't add cinnamon or vanilla and it's still just as sweet & good.  And for the marshmallows- the more, the better... just load 'em on, and then brown to your liking!

Photo by: mailbelle  Posted On: Dec 15, 2008